The Tangmere Logbook Magazine of the Tangmere Military AviationMuseum Summer 2010 George Bennions, DFC — Fighter Pilot 4 One of “The Few” Brian Bridges Tangmere, 16 August 1940 8 The day Tangmere aerodrome was heavily bombed David Coxon The Portsmouth Blitz 14 The city is defended by Tangmere’s fighter squadrons Graham Spiller At Tangmere with No. 145 Squadron 18 How Tangmere’s mechanics and riggers kept them flying Eric Marsden Seventy Years Ago . 30 Recollections of life on fighter stations during the Battle of Britain Fred Pawsey, DFC Photo Quiz 31 A Spitfire and a Hurricane Published by the Society of Friends of the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, Tangmere, near Chichester, West Sussex PO20 2ES, England Edited by Dr Reginald Byron, who may be contacted care of the Museum at the postal address given above, or by e-mail at [email protected] Copyright © 2010 by the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum Trust Company All rights reserved. ISSN 1756-0039 George Bennions, DFC Fighter Pilot Brian Bridges Squadron Leader George (“Ben”) Ben- His moment of reckoning came on nions, DFC was one of the earliest 1st October 1940 when, during a patrol members of the Guinea Pig Club over West Sussex, he spotted a squad- founded in 1940 at the Queen Victoria ron of Hurricanes above and slightly Hospital, East Grinstead, by aircrew ahead. Alarmingly, about 40 Messer- recovering from burns and similar dis- schmitt 109s were above them. Flying figuring injuries. As a Spitfire pilot and his usual aircraft coded EB-J, serial one of the famous “Few”, he saw action number X4559, George signalled to his in the Battle of Britain with No. 41 leader then flew ahead to indicate the (Fighter) Squadron operating out of position of the enemy. Turning right Hornchurch and before becoming a and taking up a favourable position for Guinea Pig had claimed twelve victo- attack he arrived at the Messerschmitts ries, five probables plus five damaged and suddenly realised he was alone. and been awarded the DFC. His companions had interpreted his 4 The Tangmere Logbook signal as merely indicating the presence and flung it to George saying, “Have a of the Hurricanes and being already chair, old boy”. short of oxygen and fuel after patrolling Meanwhile, Mr Shepherd, the for some 90 minutes, had simply farmer who gave George first aid by dropped away to return to base. plugging his wounds with parts of his However, undeterred by the nu- parachute, decided to write to his merical superiority of the enemy, commanding officer, a letter which George went in alone to the attack. He George retained throughout his life. later reported, “I singled out a Messer- Dunstall’s Farm schmitt who I thought was at the rear. I Henfield, Sussex gave him two bursts and he fell away in 3rd Oct. 1940 smoke and flames but as he went down, Officer Commanding a cannon shell entered my cockpit and 41 Squadron, RAF exploded by my left side and face; there was a sharp pain and I was momentar- Dear Sir, ily blinded. Pain in my right arm and Pardon me for writing, but you may like to right leg suggested they had also suf- hear of one of your Pilot Officers. I think he fered serious injury. I cleared my right said his name was Pilot Officer Bennions eye with my glove and found I was able DFC of the above squadron. to see vaguely. The hood and cockpit I was watching the air battle when your Pilot Officer shot down a Messerschmitt were shattered and the next thing I 109; then about 40 Germans dived on him knew I was pulling the Spitfire out of a and he was hit with a cannon shell. He steep dive and preparing to bale out; I must have been nearly blind when he baled managed to get clear, I couldn’t see but out, coming down about half a mile from managed to pull the rip-cord and im- the above address. I and others bandaged mediately lost consciousness. I landed him up as well as we could before he was in a field, part of Dunstall’s Farm, near taken to hospital at Horsham. He is a brave Henfield in West Sussex and coming to pilot and a credit to his Squadron and may for a few seconds, whilst lying on the God help him to get well as I being an ex- ground, gave my name and squadron RAF man am proud to think that we have number to a farmer who came to help such brave lads in the RAF. me. I passed out again and awoke Please forgive me for writing but I thought you would like to know. much later at the Queen Victoria Hospi- tal” (see note, page 7). I remain, sir, George had lost his left eye and part Yours faithfully, of his brain had been exposed, but C. J. Shepherd within two hours, Sir Archibald McIn- doe, the famous plastic surgeon and an George later wrote to Mr Shepherd, eye specialist, was operating to save his who replied to him in January 1941: life; his injuries included the loss of his Dunstall’s Farm left eye, facial disfigurement, a severed 22 Jan 41 median nerve and wounds in his right Dear Sir, arm and leg. He remained at the How pleased I was and surprised to hear “Queen Vic” a further five weeks and from you but I am very sorry indeed to hear recalled later that, being young, fit and you have lost your eye although I thought ambitious, he became extremely de- you would when I bandaged it up for you. I pressed until entering a ward one day, have been looking in the papers to see if you a young man in a wheelchair, seriously got a bar to your DFC as God knows you disfigured with burns to his face and should have, as many a pilot would have hands, picked up a chair in his teeth beat it for home when they saw they were Summer 2010 5 outnumbered as you were that day as I have riage, Avis Bennions received notifica- seen since where a pilot went into 40 alone tion that George had been wounded: and he got the DFC. Still I suppose it was because only a few people saw it, had an Air Ministry officer in (the) Navy or Army seen it and (Casualty Branch) wrote as I did you would no doubt have got 73-77, Oxford Street W1 it, but thank God you are still alive as the Madam, Rev. H. O. Candole of Henfield asked us all I am directed to inform you that your hus- to pray for you in church the next Sunday. band, Squadron Leader G. H. Bennions I hope you are quite well again now, and (43354), Royal Air Force, is reported in- again thanking you for letting me know jured as the result of enemy action on the how you got on. 30th September 1943. He has been admit- I remain, ted to the 96th General Hospital, North Yours Sincerely, Africa suffering from shrapnel wounds in C. J. Shepherd the head and body. Any change in his condition or location George Herman Bennions joined the that might be notified to this department will be communicated to you as quickly as RAF as a Halton Apprentice at 16 years possible. of age in January 1929. Passing out with distinction as an engineer fitter, he I am, Madam, Your Obedient Servant, was recommended for Cranwell, where D. P. Ward he underwent basic flying training be- For Director of Personal Services fore qualifying as a Sergeant pilot at No. 3 FTS Grantham at 22 years of age. Posted in 1935 to Khormaksar, Aden, he joined 41 Squadron flying Hawker De- mons. They returned to the UK in 1936 to convert to Fury IIs and later to Spit- fires. George was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in April 1940. Following recovery from his wounds, George was necessarily grounded for a while. He became an operations officer, then senior controller and after a few weeks as acting station commander at RAF Catterick, he was promoted to Squadron Leader. Men- tioned in dispatches in January 1943, he later served in North Africa as a senior controller and liaison officer with an American fighter group equipped with Spitfires. He resumed flying duties A proud moment. George, after his recovery, with his wife Avis and their eldest daughter and, whilst permitted to fly on convoy leave Buckingham Palace following the award of patrols, was debarred from taking part his Distinguished Flying Cross, which had been in combat operations. In September gazetted on 1.10.40, the day of his crash. 1943, George commanded a ground control interception unit that was being Following his release from the RAF sent ashore at Ajaccio on Corsica, but in in 1946, he remained in the Catterick the act of leaving the landing craft he area and took up teaching technical was wounded by an enemy glide bomb. drawing, metal and woodwork at Rise- For the second time in their mar- dale School where he remained for the 6 The Tangmere Logbook next 28 years. He claimed he “gave up one stage. “I really don't remember,” when it became no longer fashionable said George and with typical humour to enforce discipline in the educational he apologised for his uninvited intru- system”. Whilst other interests in- sion in 1940. cluded sailing and golf, he continued to fly long after the war when, as part- owner of a Tiger Moth with his life-long friend Bill Meynell, he gave displays at air shows around the country.